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c-Jun, Jun-B, and Jun-D proteins bind to the TPA response element (TRE) either as homodimers or as Jun-Fos heterodimers. We demonstrate that c-Jun and Jun-B nevertheless differ markedly in their ability to activate AP-1 responsive genes. c-Jun is an efficient activator of the c-jun and collagenase promoters, which contain a single TRE; Jun-B is not. Furthermore, Jun-B inhibits activation of these promoters by c-Jun. On the other hand, like c-Jun, Jun-B is an efficient activator of constructs containing multimeric TREs. Using chimeric proteins, we show that the distinct behavior of c-Jun and Jun-B is due to differences in their activation domains. Trans-activation by Jun-B depends on cooperative interactions between adjacently bound factors, while activation by c-Jun does not require such interactions. This differential behavior greatly expands the regulatory potential of the Jun family.

The related proteins p300 and CBP (cAMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB)-binding protein)) are transcriptional co-activators that act with other factors to regulate gene expression and play roles in many cell-differentiation and signal transduction pathways. Both proteins have intrinsic histone-acetyltransferase activity and may act directly on chromatin, of which histone is a component, to facilitate transcription. They are also involved in growth control pathways, as shown by their interaction with the tumour suppressor p53 and the viral oncogenes E1A and SV40 T antigen. Here we report functional differences of p300 and CBP in vivo. We examined their roles during retinoic-acid-induced differentiation, cell-cycle exit and programmed cell death (apoptosis) of embryonal carcinoma F9 cells, using hammerhead ribozymes capable of cleaving either p300 or CBP messenger RNAs. F9 cells expressing a p300-specific ribozyme became resistant to retinoic-acid-induced differentiation, whereas cells expressing a CBP-specific ribozyme were unaffected. Similarly, retinoic-acid-induced transcriptional upregulation of the cell-cycle inhibitor p21Cip1 required normal levels of p300, but not CBP, whereas the reverse was true for p27Kip1. In contrast, both ribozymes blocked retinoic-acid-induced apoptosis, indicating that both co-activators are required for this process. Thus, despite their similarities, p300 and CBP have distinct functions during retinoic-acid-induced differentiation of F9 cells.